One in three Germans has an organ donor card. This may not sound very exciting at first, but a look at the rarity of organ donation puts it into perspective: According to the German Organ Transplantation Foundation (DSO), a total of 955 people donated organs for seriously ill patients after their death in 2018. In contrast, almost 10,000 people are on waiting lists. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of unease. After all, regardless of past scandals, the decision for or against a possible organ donation is a very personal one.
It is therefore entirely up to the individual whether they declare their willingness to donate organs in whole or in part or whether they exclude it. There is no registration of data in connection with the willingness to donate organs. There is also no register of objections (registration of refusal) in Germany. It is therefore important to record your own decision on an organ donor card and to talk about it with your family. It is also not necessary to undergo a medical examination before agreeing to donate organs. The medical suitability of the organs for transplantation is checked after death has been determined in accordance with the guidelines of the German Medical Association.
Requirements for organ donation
- The death of the donor must have been determined by establishing the irreversible loss of overall brain function in accordance with the guidelines of the German Medical Association.
- Consent must be given for the removal, either in the form of a written declaration of consent from the deceased (organ donor card) or by a person designated by the deceased or the relatives agreeing to the removal on behalf of the deceased.
- Organ removal is generally ruled out if the deceased had an acute malignant tumor disease or a positive HIV test result. For all other diseases, the doctors decide whether organs are suitable for removal based on the available findings.
Organ donor card
At bzga.de/infomaterials/organdonation/organdonationcards/ or at organspende-info.de you can fill out an organ donor card online, download it and then print it out or order a plastic card free of charge.
Tip: In addition to downloading the organ donor card, the association “Junge Helden e.V.” also offers more than 60 motifs for use as backgrounds (wallpapers) on smartphones: junge-helden.org/mitmachen/lifesavingwallpapers/
Further information
Would you like to discuss your questions about organ donation and transplantation in a personal telephone conversation? The organ donation information hotline team is there for you. It is a joint project of the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) and the German Organ Transplantation Foundation (DSO) and serves as an important point of contact for all questions about organ and tissue donation. The information hotline is available from Monday to Friday between 9 am and 6 pm. The free service number from all German landline and mobile networks is 0800 9040400.